Fallen
by arcanioque
Summary: She had fallen for him, literally. [faytxmaria]


Fallen 

_faytxmaria._

_post-game_

_credits to anime D.N. Angel. They had this idea first._

_She had fallen for him, literally. faytxmaria _

_-_

Maria looked up into Fayt's concerned eyes.

"Maria, are you sure you're okay?" He repeated for the dozen times. She tried not to think about how the blue tendrils of his hair were tickling her forehead when he leant down against her like that.

"I'm fine, I've said it already." She shook her head, and winced inwardly, trying not to think about the pain in her ankle, though still, she couldn't help her hand reflexively reaching out to graze her injury.

"You don't look so sure." Fayt commented.

"No, I'm sure." Maria told him. She nodded towards the direction of Airygylph. "You go ahead and meet up with Nel and the rest first. I'll join you shortly."

"Are you sure?"

"Fayt..." Maria tried not to roll her eyes. Sometimes the blue-haired boy was too stubborn for his own good.

"Jeez, if you say so, Maria." He stood up, and turned his back. When Maria was finally sure Fayt had gone on his way to trek towards the town ahead of them, she leant down to examine her ankle, lifting up the edges of her pants to only wince a bit at the pain, and the swollen ankle.

If Fayt had known she had sprained her ankle just fighting a group of bandits, she didn't think her pride could have taken it very well. Though she had feigned nonchalance for the past half an hour trudging through the Traum Mountains, it had been hard on her ankle, and she had finally given up trying, requesting for a rest along the way.

She hoped Fayt hadn't noticed anything suspicious, because Maria didn't wish to be the one to him down on his way to meet up with the others. She knew punctuality was part of Fayt's personality, and the last thing she wanted was to be a burden.

Still, her swollen ankle looked like it was beyond what symbology could heal.

The snow was gathering thickly. Maria looked up, through the fog. If she insisted walking on with a sprained ankle, she could probably make it there before night fall...but still, the others would no doubt question her whereabouts, and she didn't want to make them send an unnecessary search party to seek her out. Cliff Fittir was certainly capable of doing such reckless things.

Maria kept herself from sighing, and eyed her injury. She was careful not to put too much weight onto it lest the sprain worsened.

And she was cold, and tired...

If she passed out in the snow, she knew there would be a high chance the thick layers of powder would bury her beneath, and how her body would probably never be found until winter came and went, which was an impossibility considering Airygylph's climate.

Maria stood up, deciding to throw all propriety out of the window by opting to limp on one feet instead. If that could get her out of the snow, anything will be--

A throbbing pain cut through her thoughts, and Maria found herself losing control of her body. She would have fallen like a heap into the snow, had steady arms not caught her from behind, snaking around her small waist to hold her firmly.

She blinked, and looked just a little behind her shoulders, into _those _eyes.

Fayt's.

"Jeez, Maria, you really think I'd leave you here to turn into a snow woman?" And the way his eyes had softened into hers, had melted a funny spot in her heart.

"Fayt, I told you to go ahead without me, didn't I?"

"And leave you here?" He raised an eyebrow. "You could have told me you sprained your ankle, Maria."

She shook her head. "I'll be fine on my own, Fayt. You can meet up with the rest first. I'll catch up with you somehow--"

"Maria..." Fayt sounded half-exasperated, half-desperate. He was fully aware that his hands were still around her waist...and how his skin had tingled suddenly. He wished he didn't think so much. Like how her eyes were suddenly so enthralling. Or how tantalizing she looked with snowflakes tangled in her hair. Or like how her lips were practically glistening under the foggy sunlight like this--

Bad, bad, Fayt.

"I'll only be slowing you down." Maria was about to pull away, when she found herself helplessly tugged into Fayt's arms. "Fayt, what do you think you're--"

"So that's what you think?" He sounded nearly angry, as he heaved her up onto his back, ignoring her futile protests.

"Fayt, put me down, I can walk--"

"Very funny, Maria. I'm sorry, but that's the last thing I'll do." He told her, and tried to push away the thoughts that screamed at him of their close proximity, and how her breath constantly brushed against his jaw, and how her hair smelt of strawberry. He didn't know Maria smelt of straw--

Stop it, you lovesick idiot, Fayt thought.

_Love? _Now THIS was bad.

"I'm too heavy--" She couldn't have argued if she tried, for Fayt instantly cut into her words.

"Heavy? Maria, you weigh like a feather! Are you sure Cliff and Mirage had fed you enough back then?" Fayt sighed, and readjusted himself so the girl on his back could be more comfortable.

But Maria didn't seem to sit well with the idea so much. She tried to get down, telling him to 'put her down' constantly, but one should have known Fayt was adamant when he decided to be adamant. "Fayt, put me down." She tried again, for the umpteenth time.

"We're nearly there, Maria. We'll get you to the doctor--"

"No, don't." Maria didn't want Cliff to arch an eyebrow at her pathetic state if he had heard about it.

"Jeez, Maria, won't you just listen to me for once?" And Fayt was making deep imprints in the snow with the blue-haired female on his back.

Maria didn't like particularly how her heart was beginning to skip a few beats, especially when she was _this _close to him.

She had no idea Fayt had felt the exact same way, except that, in his case, was probably ten times worse, with all those stupid distracting thoughts about how, if she leant any closer, her lips could have accidentally brushed against his--

BAD, BAD.

Fayt flushed, and hoped Maria wasn't keen enough to see it.

"Fayt, put me down if I'm too heavy."

"Will do, Maria." He shook his head. "Sheesh, I swear you're just like Cliff sometimes." He muttered under his breath.

"What was that, Fayt?"

"Uh, nothing..."

When Airygylph came into view, as with the others who were already standing outside the city awaiting their late team members, Fayt tried really hard to ignore Cliff's wolf whistles, Roger's mischievious teases, Peppita's noisy giggles, Nel's knowing smirk, Mirage's understanding smile, Albel's mocking snort, Adray's puffed face and Sophia's surprised expression...

for he only wanted to remember this moment forever like this, just him, and _her_ with a sprained ankle, on his back, on this snowy day in Airygylph.

And Fayt had particularly wanted to remember how it was like, with her hair tickling his nose, and him, breathing in her scent.

**owari **


End file.
